Unlike US, Iran security based on people: Jalili

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili says, unlike Washington, Tehran has always depended on its vast human resources for its security needs.

"The Islamic Republic, with the full support of the Iranian people, has always remained immune to foreign threats over the past 30 years," he said on Monday.

Despite possessing "nuclear and non-nuclear arsenals," and relying on "advanced and sophisticated weaponry," Washington and other world powers have failed to establish lasting security, Jalili added.

"When it comes to providing security, unlike the United States, the Islamic republic of Iran bases is approach on justice, serving the people, and interacting and communicating with them," he added.

Jalili was speaking against a backdrop of a deadly terrorist attack that left more than 40 people killed in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan to on Sunday.

The Pakistan-based Jundallah terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which also resulted in the death of senior commanders from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Nour-Ali Shoushtari and Rajab-Ali Mohammadzadeh.

Led by Abdulmalek Rigi, Jundallah terrorists have staged a tidal wave of bombings and terrorist attacks in Iran, one of which left at least 25 Iranians dead in early June.

Although tragic and heartbreaking, the incident, "which saw the blood of IRGC martyrs and non-Baluch compatriots shed alike," will further strengthen unity and solidarity among Iranians, Jalili concluded.

'S Arabia against stability in Yemen'

A senior Yemeni analyst says the ongoing crisis in Yemen is to a large extent the result of a Saudi plot against the country.

Abdullah Kholani, the editor-in-chief of Yemen's "alwahdawi" newspaper says Yemen has experienced crises after the 1962 revolution, but the current crisis in the country is more dangerous than all the previous ones.

"A large part of the crisis has been created by Saudi Arabia, because the Saudi hardliners have adopted an aggressive stance on Yemen after the Yemeni revolution brought by Nasserites," Kholani said.

"Yemen's stability is against Saudi Arabia's interests, because the Saudi kingdom has been established by colonizers and the global Zionism has supported it before the advent of the golden age of oil," he added.

The information secretary of the Nasserite Unionist People's Organization (NUPO) stated that Saudi Arabia worries that stability in Yemen would leave no space in the Arab Peninsula for hardliners.

NUPO is a political party in Yemen that was established in 1965.

Following the September 1962 revolution, the Yemen Arab Republic became closely allied with and heavily dependent on Egypt. Saudi Arabia aided the royalists in their attempt to defeat the Republicans and did not recognize the Yemen Arab Republic until 1970.

Nasserism is an Arab nationalist political ideology based on the thinking of the former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was a major influence on pan-Arab politics in the 1950s and 1960s.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=109657§ionid=351020206.

Indonesian navy to deter asylum seekers from entering Indonesian waters: minister

Indonesian navy would prevent boatpeople, who want to go to Australia, from entering Indonesian territory, Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said here Monday.

Indonesia has been a strategic point for those illegal migrants from Srilangka, Afghanistan, Myanmar and other Arabic countries, heading to Australia.

Recently, a series of boats carrying hundreds of illegal migrants from Srilangka, Afghanistan and Myanmar have been stranded in Indonesia's waters.

Besides, Indonesian police and immigration officials have also arrested dozens of illegal migrants in Indonesia.

Indonesian defense minister told a press conference after meeting his Australian counterpart Jhon Philip Faulkner at his office that a meeting would be conducted next week to follow up the cooperation of the two countries in preventing the illegal migrants.

"Our navy will conduct a prevention for the illegal migrants to enter our territory," Yusgiantoro said.

"Generally, these people aims at better life, but we need to find out the possibility of other purposes," he said.

However, for humanitarian reason, Indonesia has often temporarily facilitated the migrants as they were in poor health condition after traveling for days in the sea near Indonesian waters.

Indonesia wants a comprehensive solution on the boat people issue, involving the origin of state, the transit country and the destination nation.

Indonesia and Australia have cooperated in preventing the people smuggling as part of a defense treaty, known as Lombok Treaty which was signed in 2006 by the two countries.

Australian defense minister could not be reached for comment.

During his visit, the Australian defense minister also met with Indonesian Minister for Politics, Law and Security Djoko Suyanto at his office here.

Philippine soldiers defuse landmines in south

Security troops foiled an alleged terror attack in the restive southern Philippines Monday, a regional army official said.

Major Ramon David Hontiverso, a local military spokesperson, said three pressure-type battery-operated landmines were disarmed by patrolling troops in a remote in Zamboanga del Norte province.

He said troops also recovered six gallons of ammonium nitrate soaked in kerosene and bomb components.

Authorities suspect Muslim rebels planted the landmines and attempted to engineer a terrorist attack though no group has claimed responsibility.

Iran's NIOC invests in new phases at Sth Pars

An Iranian oil official says the development contract of phases 27 and 28 of South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf in southern Iran, will be signed soon.

"The contract, valued at $5.6 billion, is expected to be signed in two weeks time," Gholamreza Manouchehri the CEO of Iranian oil and gas company Petropars said, Iranian TV's website reported.

Phases 27 and 28 development at South Pars gas field was assigned to Petropars. Petropars is a subsidiary of Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO), which is itself an affiliated company of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

"The two phases are expected to produce 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and around 80,000 barrels per day of condensate," Manouchehri said.

He added that the NIOC will invest in the project in the form of "finance".

South Pars, the world's largest reservoir of gas, is shared by Iran and Qatar. The Iranian part is divided into 28 phases.

In total, Iran has the world's second largest gas reserves, almost 16% of the world's total, but currently has no major net exports mainly because US sanctions have deterred investment by some international companies.

Iran's Khamenei charges foreign agents of plotting attacks in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Monday that terrorist attacks in Muslim countries like Iran, Iraq and Pakistan were carried out by foreign agents, the Press TV reported.

"Perpetrators of terrorist and bloody moves are directly or indirectly linked to foreign agents," Khamenei was quoted as saying.

"Bloody acts in some Muslim countries such as Iraq and Pakistan and certain parts of Iran are aimed at creating discord and difference among Shiite and Sunni Muslims," said Khamenei in a meeting with Iranian officials in charge of organizing Hajj ceremonies.

"This is why Muslims should pay great attention to the issue of their unity," he said, adding that "During Hajj ceremonies (the pilgrims) should be sensitive about moves against the Islamic unity."

The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia which occurs once every year. It is an obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so.

Earlier last week, a deadly bomb attack rocked Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan near Iran's border with Pakistan, killing nearly 45 people, including a number of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders.

The Sunni rebel group Jundallah (God's soldiers) claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide attack.

Iran's high-ranking officials have claimed that the Jundallah was aided by the intelligence services of the United States, Britain and Pakistan.

Gaddafi: Disarm Israel or let Arabs develop nukes

Mon Oct 26, 2009

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi says Arab states, as well as Palestinians, should be allowed to have nuclear weapons, as long as Israel retains its nukes.

"If the Israelis have the nuclear weapons and the nuclear capabilities, then it is the right of the Egyptians, the Syrians, the Saudis to have the same," Gaddafi told the British Sky network on Sunday night.

"Even the Palestinians should have the same because their counterparts, or their opponents, have nuclear capabilities," the Libyan leader added.

He stressed that the only way to prevent proliferation of nuclear arms in the Middle East is to disarm Israel of its nuclear weapons.

"If we don't want this situation, we'll have to disarm the Israelis from their nuclear weapons and capabilities," Gaddafi said.

Most experts estimate that Israel has at least between 100 and 200 nuclear warheads, largely based on information leaked to the Sunday Times newspaper in the 1980s by Mordechai Vanunu, a former worker at the country's Dimona nuclear reactor.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/109654.html.

Hizbullah Required For Syrian Defense

LONDON [MENL] -- Hizbullah has affirmed its role in defending Syria from an attack by Israel.

A Hizbullah legislator has asserted that the Iranian-sponsored militia was being supported to stop an Israeli invasion of Syria. Lebanese parliamentarian Walid Sukariya, a retired senior Lebanese Army officer, said Hizbullah was capable of hampering any Israeli ground strike on Syria.

Iran Acquires Subs From N. Korea

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has determined that Iran acquired submarines from North Korea.

A U.S. congressional report said Iran has procured midget submarines from Pyongyang. The report said several North Korean submarines were said to have arrived in Iran.

Nigeria militants reinstate truce

Nigeria's main armed group in the oil-rich Delta region has announced a new, indefinite ceasefire.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said it had been encouraged by the government's "readiness to engage" in serious talks.

Earlier this month a Mend splinter group lifted a ceasefire and threatened to resume a campaign of violence.

But Mend said on Sunday a new ceasefire had been ordered to "encourage the process of dialogue".

Militant groups have flourished in the delta amid a lack of governance and rule of law.

They claim to be fighting to help local people benefit from the region's oil wealth, but they fund their activities with oil theft, extortion and kidnapping.

Attacks on oil installations and their employees have cut Nigeria's output by a third in the past three years and helped raise oil prices.

RP soldiers begin Golan peacekeeping mission

The Philippine flag now flies over the Golan Heights as Filipino peacekeepers officially started their tour of duty there Thursday.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines took over from Poland in peacekeeping duties under the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

"In ceremonies held in New York on October 22, Poland lowered its national colors while the Philippines raised its own to signal the formal assumption by the 1st Philippine Battalion of peacekeeping responsibilities in the southern sector of a United Nations-controlled zone that has kept Israeli and Syrian forces apart since the end of the Arab-Israeli War in 1974," the DFA said on its website
(www.dfa.gov.ph) Friday.

Polish battalion commander Lt. Col. Mariusz Jurek handed to Philippine commanding officer Lt. Col. Milfredo Melegrito the symbolic key to Camp Ziouani.

UNDOF Force commander Maj. Gen. Wolfgang Jilke presided over the ceremony attended by UNDOF officials and members of the diplomatic corps and representatives from Israel.

The Philippine Mission to the UN said 336 Filipino troops will be in the Golan Heights by the end of the month once Poland completes its withdrawal from UNDOF.

When the rest of the Philippine battalion arrives at the end of the month, Philippine presence in the Golan Heights will bring to almost 1,000 the total number of military and police personnel serving in UN peacekeeping missions, the DFA added.

"The Philippine contingent will form part of the 1,023-strong UNDOF peacekeeping force that also includes troops from Austria, Canada, Croatia, India and Japan who have been tasked by the Security Council to maintain the cease-fire and supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces and the so-called Areas of Separation and Limitation between the two parties," the DFA said.

Philippine Ambassador to Israel Petronila Garcia represented Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in the ceremonies.

Also in attendance were Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief of staff for operations Maj. Gen. Carlos Holganza, UN Philippine Mission to UN peacekeeping officer Elmer Cato, AFP peacekeeping operations center commanding officer Col. Gregory Cayetano, and officers of the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Garcia said the deployment to the Golan Heights is the biggest and most challenging peacekeeping operation for Manila in almost a decade and is in line with the country’s obligations as a charter member of the United Nations.

“We also see our presence here in the Golan as our own little way of contributing to peace in the region. As a friend to both Israel and Syria, it would be to the interest of the Philippines that peace reigns in all of the Middle East where many of our countrymen are based," she said.

Garcia said that in accepting the UN invitation to deploy an infantry battalion to Golan, Manila considered the fact that in UNDOF's 35 years, the cease-fire and disengagement between Israel and Syria has been observed and not a single serious incident has shattered the peace in the area.

“For this, we are thankful not only for the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by UN peacekeepers but also for the excellent cooperation exhibited by both Israel and Syria," she said.

Garcia also lauded Poland for UNDOF's success story.

“Poland’s contributions to the cause of peace will never be forgotten and the Philippine Contingent can be expected to continue and build on the good work Warsaw has started here in the Golan. Although the Philippines is a small country with limited means, it takes its responsibility in United Nations peacekeeping very seriously," she said.

She also noted Filipino peacekeepers have served in Afghanistan, Burundi, Cambodia, Cote d’ Ivoire, Darfur, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia, Kashmir, Kosovo, Nepal, Sudan and Timor Leste.

“Like Poland, the Philippines is proud of its strong peacekeeping tradition that dates back to the 1960s when the Philippines first sent an Air Force squadron to support UN operations in the Congo," she said.

AL warns of Israeli violations in Al-Aqsa Mosque

Cairo-based Arab League (AL) warned on Sunday of the serious consequences of Israeli violations and breaking into Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In the statement issued on Sunday evening, AL chief Amr Moussa condemned the Israeli acts, describing as serious violations to Al-Aqsa Mosque, asking Israel to stop these violations immediately and end the blockade imposed on Al-Aqsa compound.

Moussa appealed to the UN Security Council to intervene to stop these Israeli assaults on the Mosque and to hold Israel responsible for escalating the situation.

On early Sunday, Israeli police and Arab protesters clashed at the holy compound in Jerusalem, highlighting an already inflammable atmosphere around the site sacred to both Jews and Muslims.

The violence, in which several injuries were reported, erupted as Israeli police beefed up security measures after local Muslim leaders called upon Arabs over the weekend to defend the holy compound in the Old City from what they called a "Jewish conquest."

Iran has 12 million smokers: official

The head of Iran's Tobacco Company says there are 12 million cigarette smokers across the country bringing tobacco turnover to $3 billion.

“Iranians' consumption of cigarettes has been recorded as 61.2 billion cigarettes per year. The numbers shows a 1.2 percent increase compared to the figures of last year,” Mahmoud Abtahi told Mehr News Agency.

Iran's Tobacco Company's latest figure shows tobacco turnover reached 3 billion dollars.

“Around 30 percent of the turnover is authorized by the Iran's Tobacco Company and the rest is carried out by smugglers and foreign companies,” Abtahi added.

According to the Iranian tobacco company over one third of cigarettes around the world are contributed by smugglers.

“Before the ninth government, 45 percent of cigarette contributions at domestic levels were carried out by smugglers,” he said. “By offering more authority to Iran's Tobacco Company, the company succeeded to control the domestic market favoring national interest.”

“The country launched various programs to control and decrease cigarette smoking among 12 million Iranian smokers,” he added.

Erdogan: US, Europe unfair on Iran rights

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan speaks up for Iran's right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, saying Western fears in this regard are utterly senseless.

Erdogan told The Guardian on Monday that Europe and the US have been treating Tehran unfairly over its enrichment program because "although Iran doesn't have a weapon, those who say Iran shouldn't have them are those countries which do [have nuclear weapons],"

"Iran does not accept it is building a weapon. They are working on nuclear power for the purposes of energy only," said Erdogan, who is due to visit Tehran for talks with Iranian government officials

His remarks come only a day after a four-member team from the UN nuclear watchdog arrived in Tehran to inspect the nascent Fordo enrichment facility near the city of Qom.

In recent weeks, the Fordo site has received a lot of media attention in the West, where it has been become known as "the controversial nuclear plant kept secret by the Tehran government".

This is while, in actual fact, Iranian officials had announced the construction of a second enrichment plant, which will enrich uranium to the 5 percent, in a letter to the UN nuclear watchdog on September 21.

The letter was sent 12 months before the agency's regulations oblige its members states to inform of new developments.

According to the agency's document 153, member states are obliged to inform the body of the existence of enrichment plants 6 months before the introduction of nuclear materials into the facility.

In light of the ongoing media hype against Iran's enrichment program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned that the mainstream media in the West has grown to become more dangerous and more threatening than any chemical or nuclear weapons.

“Our activities are entirely based on honesty and transparency. We did not have any secrets as we informed the agency well in-advance,” he said earlier this month.

Trial of 'Hijab martyr' killer to open today

Germany is to within hours open the trial of a man accused of killing a pregnant Egyptian woman Marwa Ali El Sherbini in a national courtroom in July.

The defendant, identified as Alex W., is to stand trial today for stabbing to death Marwa al-Sherbini in a courtroom in Dresden.

The 28-year-old man stabbed Marwa at least 18 times in three minutes on July 1 in front of her husband, 3-year-old son and eight courtroom officials as well as police.

He stabbed the 31-year-old mother repeatedly with an 18-centimeter kitchen knife in the same courthouse where his trial will be held.

Alex W. also attempted to kill the victim's husband. During the frenzy a court guard shot Sherbini's husband in the leg, 'mistaking' him for the attacker.

Thousands of Muslims took to the streets worldwide to mourn the death of the young woman, dubbed the "Hijab martyr". The protests also targeted the media silence in Germany over the incident.

Egypt has demanded the maximum sentence for Alex W., which is life imprisonment under German law.

Israeli, Jordanian officials meet amid Al-Aqsa crisis

Israeli and Jordanian local officials have held a joint meeting for the first time after the Israeli offensive in Gaza earlier this year, Israeli sources say.

Israel's deputy minister of development for Negev and al-Jalil, Ayoub Qara, arrived in Al-Aqaba city in south Jordan on Sunday to meet the city's deputy governor, Bashir Belal, Israel Radio reported.

The two sides discussed the expansion of bilateral economic ties.

Qara is the first Israeli official to visit Jordan after Israel's "Operation Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.

The Israeli offensive into the impoverished Palestinian sliver has killed more than 1400 Gazans and injured many more most of them women and children.

Turkey mourns death of top Islamic banker

(MENAFN - Arab News) Adnan Buyukdeniz, the general manager of Albaraka Turk Participation Bank, one of the pioneering Islamic banks in Turkey, passed away on Oct. 16 after a long illness. Only 51 years old, Turkey has lost one of its most experienced Islamic bankers. Adnan devoted almost all of his professional life, spanning more than two decades, to the development of Islamic finance in Turkey.

After Recep Tayyip Erdpgan became Prime Minister of Turkey over five years ago, Adnan was widely tipped to become the governor of the Central Bank of Turkey. His close relationship to the ruling AK (Justice) Party of Premier Erdogan and the fact he was an Islamic banker may have cost him because the fundamentalist secular media in Turkey would have accused the government of allowing 'Islamization' to creep into the state apparatus as they had done so frequently on other issues in the past.

Adnan Buyukdeniz, who was affectionately known as Adnanbey, was born in Adana in south central Turkey on Jan. 2, 1958. He completed his high school education in Texas, before graduating with a Business Administration & Economics degree from the Bosphorus University in Istanbul in 1980.

He then completed his Masters in Economics at the London School of Economics before finishing his Ph.D. at the Social Sciences Institute of Istanbul University. His professional career started in 1982 as a Research Economist in the Association of Turkish Industrialist & Businessmen (TUSIAD). In 1986, he joined Albaraka Turk Finance House (as it was then known as) in Istanbul as assistant manager of research and marketing, working his way up to general manager in 2003.

Adnan Byukdeniz was also a keen amateur photographer and a member of the Turkish Amateur Photography Association. He is survived by his wife and three children.

By Mushtak Parker

Saudi Arabia- Zamzam will be served to pilgrims right from arrival

(MENAFN - Arab News) Zamzam will be served to pilgrims from the point of their arrival in the Kingdom until departure, said Suleiman Abu Ghaliyah, chairman of the board of directors of the Zamzam United Office.

Ghaliyah said pilgrims would be able to drink Zamzam wherever they may be in Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah under a three-fold plan. He added that since Oct. 20, the first phase of the program has begun, which includes supplying pilgrims with 300ml bottles of Zamzam.

"Before arriving at the grouping center, the pilgrims will receive their quota of 300ml of Zamzam water inside the bus," he said.

Ghaliyah said that under the second program, containers of 20 liters of Zamzam would be given to pilgrims at their places of accommodation in Makkah starting Nov. 3.

This program will continue until Nov. 25 when pilgrims will leave Makkah for Mina. He added that the third program in the plan would start on Nov. 30 when the pilgrims would be given containers of 1.5 liters of Zamzam water to take home. "This arrangement would continue till the end of December when all pilgrims have departed for their respective homes," he said.

By Badea Abu Al-Naja

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093278901.

Makkah gears up for Haj

(MENAFN - Arab News) The Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has begun preparations to implement its plan for this year's Haj season, which will begin on Nov. 3 until Dec. 18.

A total of 6,058 persons - including 1,756 regular staff members, 1,800 temporary employees and 2,502 male and female laborers - will be working under the presidency. Presidency staff will also be guiding pilgrims to enable them to perform Haj rituals correctly. The presidency's plans also include increasing the number of muftis and study circles in the Grand Mosque, and completing the expansion of the Masa (the chamber between Safa and Marwah).

The presidency is also working on completing the bridge that leads from the Masa to the bus terminal, preparing the eastern courtyard to accommodate more worshipers, setting up more drinking water points, keeping up with cleanliness, completing studies to determine the hydraulic specifications of the well of Zamzam in collaboration with the Geological Survey Department, and developing the sterilization system of Zamzam water.

Under the rules made by the presidency, no food, drinks or bags will be allowed into the Grand Mosque. It also called on pilgrims not to use Zamzam water for ablution, not to sleep inside the Grand Mosque and to dispose of garbage in bins. The presidency asked pilgrims to send their observations, complaints or suggestions by fax no: 02 573 9992 or via its website: www.gph.gov.sa

By Badea Abu Al-Naja

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093278906.

First shipment of vaccines to Jordan expected in November

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The first shipment of H1N1 (swine) flu vaccines is expected to arrive in the Kingdom after seven to 10 days, a Health Ministry official said on Sunday.

Primary Healthcare Director Adel Belbeisi told The Jordan Times that the vaccine manufacturing company was given the go-ahead yesterday to dispatch the first shipment of 12,000 vaccines, after receiving approval from the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA).

He noted that the first shipment will be used to vaccinate pilgrims, referring to a circular issued by Saudi authorities requesting that people preparing for the pilgrimage this year be vaccinated ahead of the Hajj season.

JFDA Director General Mohammad Rawashdeh said the administration approved the entry of the vaccines following a thorough study by the JFDA's vaccines and plasmas committee.

"The committee studied all documents related to the swine flu vaccines developed by two European companies that won a tender floated by the Ministry of Health earlier to provide 2.25 million vaccines," he told a press conference yesterday.

Rawashdeh said the approval was issued to one company, while the second might receive the go-ahead soon.

"The European Food and Drug Administration has approved this same vaccine, and this is an indicator that it is relatively safe," he noted, adding that the JFDA requested the company to provide a bi-weekly report updating the administration about any possible side affects.

"If there are any complications in the future in any country in the world that uses the vaccine, we will immediately stop using it in Jordan," Rawashdeh added.

He explained that in order for any vaccine to be allowed entry, the manufacturing company should provide the JFDA with an original Lot Release Certificate from the authorized health entities, a copy of the production batch record, in-process quality control testing during production and the product license certificate from the manufacturer.

In addition, the administration requested the two companies to provide documents showing that they conducted trials on a 9,000 sample study, according to Rawashdeh.

By Khetam Malkawi

Jordan- Crowds protest attack on opposition leader

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Around 200 people staged a one-hour sit-in on Sunday at the Professional Associations Complex in Shmeisani to protest against an assault on veteran opposition leader Leith Shbeilat by anonymous individuals earlier that day.

Shbeilat was attacked around 7:30am yesterday while buying bread at a bakery in downtown Amman, after which he drove himself all the way to Amman Surgical Hospital.

Shbeilat, a former MP, unionist and a co-owner of a contracting company, suffered bruises to the face and other parts of his body, and lost some teeth as a result of the attack, a reminder of similar incidents in the 1990s.

Shbeilat disappeared from the political scene several years ago and has rarely been seen in public, except for scattered interviews with regional and international networks and other media outlets.

"I didn't have a good look at the assailants because they attacked me from behind. They just started beating me up," Shbeilat, who is currently receiving treatment at the hospital, told The Jordan Times yesterday.

He added that the situation could have been worse if the people who happened to be in the bakery had not helped him.

He said the perpetrators fled in a car that was waiting for them on the other side of the road, adding that he did not accuse any particular individual when he was interrogated by the police.

Public Security Department (PSD) Spokesperson Major Mohammad Khatib told The Jordan Times yesterday that the relevant authorities began looking into the case immediately after it was reported.

"The initial investigations indicated that the incident has no background. And it happened after the victim [Shbeilat] had an intense argument with a group of people," Khatib said.

In an address to participants at the protest yesterday, former MP Mansour Seifiddin said the attack was a reaction to Shbeilat's statements at the Socialist Thought Forum and the National Initiative seminar titled-"the State and the Law" last week.

"Shbeilat, during the seminar, called on authorities to fight corruption, respect the Constitution and to cease all forms of normalization with the Zionist enemy," Seifiddin said.

Speaking on behalf of the Socialist Thought Forum, the former MP called on authorities to expose the "hidden hands" behind the attack on Shbeilat and said the forum "rejects all assaults against unionists and political activists for their views and opinions".

Also yesterday, the Jordan Engineers Association (JEA) issued a statement condemning the attack, stressing that Shbeilat was speaking at a public event and was only practicing the right of freedom of expression.

"As the JEA council emphasizes the importance of public freedom and democracy, it hopes that the incident does not become a trend of assaults against patriotic figures," the statement said.

According to an eyewitness, who spoke to The Jordan Times on condition of anonymity, the attackers were beaten back by the people in the bakery but managed to escape.

The bakery owner and the workers were summoned by authorities for interrogation, they said.

By Hani Hazaimeh

Jordan signs deal with BP on Risheh gas field

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The Kingdom will tap its natural gas reserves to meet rising energy needs under agreements signed by the government and British Petroleum (BP) on Sunday.

Four agreements were signed between BP, the government and the National Petroleum Company (NPC) at the Prime Ministry yesterday to open up the Risheh natural gas field in the east of the Kingdom.

In the first phase of the project, according to the agreement, BP will spend three to four years exploring the area, a plot measuring around 7,000 square kilometres along the Jordanian-Iraqi border, at an estimated cost of $237 million.

If proven economically feasible, BP will then provide $8-$10 billion in investment in hopes of extracting 330 million cubic feet (mcf) of gas from the field per day, with the potential of producing 1 billion cubic feet daily.

During the signing ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Nader Dahabi and BP Chief of Exploration Michael Daly, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaldoun Qteishat noted that the largest known natural gas field in the Kingdom currently produces around 21mcf of natural gas per day.

Under the first phase, the NPC and BP aim to increase the daily capacity of the gas field, some 360 kilometres east of Amman, to 50mcf within three years.

The government will receive 50 per cent of the output generated by the project, with the other half going to BP and the National Petroleum Company, NPC head Fayez Suheimat said during the signing, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

If developments go according to plan, Jordan will become an energy exporter, Petra quoted Qteishat as saying.

The agreement, which was 18 months in the making, is expected to go before the Lower House for approval in the next ordinary session.

Discovered in 1989, the Risheh gas field has been producing around 18mcf of natural gas daily over the last decade.

Recent discoveries have raised the existing 20 wells' production to around 21mcf per day to fuel the Risheh Power Plant.

The development of the Risheh gas field is seen as essential to the revised national energy strategy, under which natural gas is to account for 29 per cent of the Kingdom's energy needs.

Jordan currently imports 96 per cent of its energy needs at a cost of around one-fifth of its gross domestic product.

By Taylor Luck

Hamas official: Reconciliation talks totally frozen

October 25, 2009

Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas declared on Sunday that reconciliation talks with the rival Fatah movement are now completely on hold after President Mahmoud Abbas set a date for elections.

"The speech that President Abbas delivered on Friday has cut many of the strings.Now there are no contacts and the matter is totally frozen," said Salah Bardawil, the spokesperson of Hamas’ parliamentary contingent.

Bardawil denied media reports that a Hamas delegation would soon travel to Cairo for further talks with Egyptian mediators on a potential deal with Fatah.

"Hamas wants reconciliation but not on Abbas’ terms - he wants to eliminate the resistance," the official added.

On Friday Abbas declared new presidential and parliamentary elections for 25 January, a step Hamas says should only have come after a unity deal is signed.

In June 2007, Abbas dissolved a Hamas-Fatah unity government when the Islamist group took full control of the Gaza Strip. Hamas won the last round of parliamentary elections in 2006.

12 mln Afghans live under poverty line: ministry

KABUL, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Afghan Minister for Public Health Syed Mohammad Amin Fatimi has revealed that 12 million out of the total 30 million Afghans, including 3 million children, live under poverty line in the war-torn country, a local newspaper reported Saturday.

"Twelve million people, of these 3 million are children under five, live under poverty line in Afghanistan," daily Rah-e-Nejat quoted minister Fatimi as saying.

The minister noted these children have been suffering from malnutrition.

Out of the 12 million people living under poverty, according to the minister, 2.4 million of them are mothers facing the problem.

The war-torn Afghanistan is the fourth poorest country in term of having food security in the world based on a report on human development in 178 countries provided by United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Afghan Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Mohammad Asif Rahim said a couple of days ago.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=59364&s2=26.

Mash'al: Israel wants to divide Al-Aqsa

October 25, 2009

Bethlehem – Ma'an – Hamas’ top political official, Khalid Mash'al warned that Israel could attempt to divide the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem in a televised news conference from Damascus on Sunday evening.

"It was the first time Israeli army locked the gates of the mosque with chains, barring the call to prayer, breaking into its yards for long periods of time," Mash’al said in remarks denouncing an Israeli police raid early on Sunday that sparked a day of demonstrations.

"These acts are intended to divide Al-Aqsa and force their [Jews’] religious rituals on it," he added.

Mash’al may have been alluding to the division of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron, half of which is controlled by Israeli settlers.

Mash’al also struck a chord of Muslim-Christian solidarity in his address. He said that among those who holed themselves up inside the Mosque on Sunday in response to the Israeli intrusion were Palestinians from inside Israel and Christians.

"Jerusalem for us, as Palestinians, is all of Jerusalem with all of its land, residents and its Islamic symbols … the Jews have no right to it," he also said.

"Jerusalem’s fate will not be decided in negotiations but in the balance of confrontation and resistance," he added.

Afghan Resistance Statement Regarding the Runoff Elections

Afghan Resistance Statement Regarding the Runoff Elections
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Statement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Regarding the Runoff Elections

October 25, 2009

For the past eight years, the sole invaders of the world have been embarked on an ambitious road aimed at slapping an illegitimate rule on the Afghan people and mobilizing views of the public of the world in their own favor. They are trying to trouble the water and then fish in it. Time and again, they resort to staging parodies under the name of Loya Jirga and elections in order to distract the attention of the people from their unlawful invasion and confound the mind of the public. But still, these wicked maneuverings have not availed them capability to achieve their evil goals, nor they have been able to divert the attention of the people from their invasion. Contrarily, their conspiracies and collusion have been exposed and lost their credibility in the sight of the masses.

Some times ago, the invaders conducted presidential and provincial councils elections concurrently in order to legitimize the handpicked regime of theirs. But the elections revealed flagrant frauds in addition to bringing to open the fact that the invaders conspiracies have lost their flagrance. The invaders realized that our people not only boycott the elections and avoided going to the polling stations but also took part shoulder to shoulder with Mujahideen to neutralize the fraudulent plots of the enemy. It was because of their efforts, that the enemy achieved nothing from staging the elections drama.

At world’s level, every one knows the elections were no more than an eyewash. The elections substantiated the well-known quotes of our leader who had said one year ago that the real decision was taken in Washington. It is never taken on the basis of the votes of the Afghans. The enemy is trying to prolong the drama which is now being in full swing. Therefore, they have decided to conduct the election once again and keep the attention of our countrymen and the public of the world diverted in order to hide their defeat at the military field.

The Afghans know why the elections are being held and what for. And what will be its certain outcome. The Afghans also know that the format of the current elections will not be different from the past elections. Furthermore, the Afghan nation has been witnessing the shameful posturing and political collusions. The clandestine motives behind the announcement for the runoff could be understood from the suffocated voice and the pale countenance of the besieged miserable president! The people witnessed that how powerless and incapable was the Independent Commission of Elections and how far the ICE is under the influence of the Complaint Commission whose majority members are foreign nationals. Even the Independent Election Commission is not authorized to make any announcement or issue any statement without prior permission of the Complaint Commission. The people also know that the election drama, which is now being played with a new episode as a soap opera, in fact, panders to the invaders ambitions and goals. What could be expected of this election for the benefit of the country and our miserable people?

The public of the world like the Afghans have reached the conclusion that the miserable people of Afghanistan are hostage in the hands of the global terrorists under the leadership of America whereas the Kabul surrogate Administration is entangled in the claws of the invaders. Through coercion and manipulation, they want to impose on the Afghans a regime, which is only palatable to the invaders. But our brave nation will never stoop to this.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan deems it necessary to announce the following points to the pious people and the believing Mujhideen regarding the second round of the devious conspiracy of the invaders:

1. The Islamic Emirate announces to all countrymen to avoid participating in the deceitful and foreign-made electoral process. On the command of your belief and the Afghani conscience, you should completely boycott the elections on the basis of the rule of Sharia.

2. All Mujahideen should make efforts to foil this wicked process; should carry out operations against their centers; prevent people from participating in the elections and block all roads and paths for all public and government vehicles one day before the day of the polling and inform people about this. Similarly, with the help of religious scholars , clerics and elders, educate people about the clandestine motives behind the elections. Create awareness among people regarding the conspiracies of the enemy.

3. The Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have worked out programs to foil and prevent this process. They closely monitor all workers, officials and voters including other related programs hammered out in this regard. Every one is responsible for the harm he sustains as a result of his participation in the elections. The Mujahideen have repeatedly warned the people and announced their program of action.

4. All Mujahideen and their local chief are instructed to execute their plans against the enemy. They should put to use new experiences and the action program now at the disposal of the provincial leaders. This is in addition to the previous tactics, which were utilized in the past. Similarly, they should foil the last conspiracy of the enemies of the country and Islam.

5. We know the enemy is not able to make the elections successful. So they will try to make exaggerations about this empty and failed process of the elections by using the mass media through coercion and bribes. They will falsely show that the election was successful. Therefore, we call on all impartial and independent media outlets to abide by the timeless rule of journalism and do not tarnish your reputation by partial reporting but rather fulfill the rightful mission in the best way it can be done.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=59362&s2=26.

Muezzin of Al Aqsa prevented entry, no call to prayer, minaret damaged, power cut

Maisa Abu Ghazaleh

October 25, 2009

Jerusalem / PNN – A state of tension and anticipation remains in the lanes of Jerusalem’s Old City Sunday evening.

Israeli police and special forces have stormed Al Aqsa Mosque twice today, closed the gates and prevented people from performing the noon, afternoon and evening prayers.

The assault is occurring both outside and inside the Mosque and its grounds.

The number of injuries, aside from the cases of gas inhalation and bruising from mild beatings, is 25 Palestinians. They are journalists, medics, officials and citizens.

Palestine News Network’s Jerusalem correspondent Maisa Abu Ghazaleh was among the journalists who were beaten by Israeli forces. Diyala Jowayhan of Al Rai, journalist and photographer Atta Aoissat, Al Quds reporter Mahmoud Alian and a photographer from Reuters were all beaten, along with other journalists, by the Israelis.

Hatem Abdel Qader, the Palestinian official from Fateh in charge of the Jerusalem file, was arrested. Ali Abu Sheikha, adviser to the Islamic Movement inside the Green Line was also arrested, as was Mahmoud Abu Atta, the media coordinator of the Al Aqsa Foundation to Preserve Islamic Heritage. Jadallah Ghould of the Awqaf, official Ali Bakir, and Sheikh Yousef Al Baz were also taken.

Outside Al Aqsa the gates of the Mosque, among them Bab Hatta, have witnessed gas canisters and concussion grenades thrown at crowds of children and youth who threw stones and tires at Israeli forces.

The Israeli police prevented members of the Awaqf from entering Al Aqsa to do their work. Sheikh Sa’ed Abbasi, the Muezzin of Al Aqsa, told PNN, "I am now forbidden entry despite the fact that most of the police stationed at the gates know me."

During the day’s second storming of the Mosque, hundreds of special forces stormed Al Aqsa from the Moroccan Gate and hurled stun grenades and gas while firing rubber-coated steel bullets at those who came to make a presence in nonviolent protest of the day’s first attack on the Mosque.

Inside, the power was cut earlier today to Al Aqsa and surrounding mosques and in order to fully prevent the call for afternoon prayer from sounding, Israeli troops stormed the door of the minaret and damaged power lines.

Medic Nasser Jamjoom of the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees said that the number of injuries today reached 25 who had been treated within the Mosque after the closing of the doors. He described wounds as ranging from fractures to burns and bruises. The medic said that police deliberately broke a woman’s leg.

For his part, Dimitri Diliani member of the Revolutionary Council of Fateh, said that the threat to Al Aqsa Mosque will remain as long as the occupation does. He said that the Israeli government is exploiting the internal strife between Palestinian parties and is undertaking systematic attacks that negatively affect the national and religious rights of Palestinians and Muslims.

In turn, the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights issued a statement condemning Israeli forces for beating and detaining paramedic crews and press photographers in the courtyards of Al Aqsa, in spite of clear signs that they were engaged in work.

Attacking medical personnel and press crews is a serious and flagrant violation of international covenants and conventions, the Center for Social and Economic Rights said today. It is demanding legal accountability from police who were involved in the attacks, violent beatings and arrests.

The statement emphasized that the policy of Israeli forces is to first treat peaceful protest violently instead of ordering the Jewish extremists who are attempting to storm the Mosque to cease.

Sealing The Deal: German Parties Agree On New Coalition

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have finally reached a deal with their coalition partners the pro-business FDP. After marathon talks the parties agreed to impose major tax cuts and say they will work toward economic growth.

Germany finally has a new government almost a month after Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the pro-business Free Democrats won a convincing election victory between them and embarked on sometimes fraught coalition negotiations.

Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) sealed the deal with the FDP in the early hours of Saturday morning after three weeks of tough bargaining. The agreement now paves the way for the new government to take office in Berlin next week.

One of the sticking points had been the extent to which tax cuts could be imposed despite a swelling budget deficit. While FDP leader Guido Westerwelle did not manage to secure the €35 billion ($52 billion) of tax relief his party had sought, the agreed €24 billion was still greater than Merkel had initially wanted.

After announcing the deal on Saturday morning, Merkel said that she was happy with the agreement and said the negotiations "were not always easy." She said that both parties in the new government were committed to growth and that they would "bravely solve the problems that lie ahead of us." At the joint news conference Westerwelle, who is expected to be named foreign minister, said the coalition agreement was a "great foundation for our country."

Cabinet Posts

The make up of the new cabinet also emerged on Saturday. As expected the current Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble is to take the key position of finance minister, a difficult task as the new government attempts to balance tax cuts with a growing deficit. Before the election he had indirectly criticized his party's plans to introduce tax cuts, saying there was little room for them given the country's strained finances. Schauble has earned a reputation as a hardliner on domestic security issues and is not likely to shirk from confrontation with his cabinet colleagues in his new role.

The cabinet's rising star Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is to move from the Economics Ministry to Defense. At only 37 the young Bavarian conservative's huge popularity may now be put to the test as he faces the task of overseeing the country's unpopular mission in Afghanistan. However, his smooth communication skills and fluent English should help him in his dealings with Germany's allies. He is replacing his fellow conservative Franz Josef Jung who will now be appointed labor minister. The new economics minister will be Rainer Bruderle, a member of the FDP.

Another star in the former cabinet, Ursula von der Leyen, is to stay on in the Family Ministry, although she had been tipped to take on the health portfolio. Instead that post is to go to the 36-year-old Philip Rosler of the FDP, who was born in Vietnam and will be Germany's first Asian-born cabinet mister.

The new deputy chancellor and foreign minister, Westerwelle, reiterated his position that he wanted to see all nuclear weapons to be pulled out of Germany. During the Cold War the United States based nuclear weapons on German soil as part of the NATO deterrent against the Warsaw Pact forces. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 it has removed 95 percent of those weapons. At the press conference on Saturday, Chancellor Merkel, who likes to maintain a strong presence on the world stage, said any withdrawal of the remaining the weapons would only be carried out "after talks with our partners."

Ingushetia Opposition Figure Is Shot Dead In Car

A longtime opposition figure in the republic of Ingushetia was killed Sunday morning when his car was strafed with gunfire as he drove along a federal highway, adding another name to the list of activists who have been killed recently in the Northern Caucasus.

Maksharip Aushev, a businessman from a prominent family, was killed and a passenger was wounded when they were shot with automatic weapon fire from a passing vehicle in the neighboring republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. Russia’s prosecutor general, Yuri Chaika, said he would personally oversee the investigation.

Mr. Aushev’s life turned a corner in 2007, after his son and nephew were kidnapped. He blamed state security forces for the abductions and threw his considerable clout behind organizing public protests against then-President Murat Zyazikov.

Last year, after the opposition journalist Magomed Yevloyev was shot to death in police custody, Mr. Aushev offered to take responsibility for Mr. Yevloyev’s Web site, Ingushetia.org.

His killing is an unsettling signal, in part because the Kremlin last October removed Mr. Zyazikov and installed Yunus-Bek Yevkurov,who reached out to internal dissidents and seemed to offer them a degree of protection. Mr. Aushev was supportive of Mr. Yevkurov and felt optimistic enough to take a position on a human rights council set up by Russia’s federal ombudsman.

Magomed Mutsolgov, a prominent activist in Ingushetia, said Mr. Aushev’s killing called into question whether Mr. Yevkurov was able to control the violence. Yevkurov was nearly killed in June, when a suicide bomber swerved into his motorcade. “You see how they kill journalists and human rights workers, it continues, and there is no real investigation into any of them,” said Mutsolgov, whose organization, MAShR, tracks violence in the republic.

Mr. Aushev is the third human rights figure killed in the North Caucasus in the last four months, amid a sharp increase in overall violence.In July, Natalya Estemirova, who documented abductions and killings in Chechnya, was forced into a car and found by a roadside hours later. In August, Zarema Sadulayeva, who ran a charity, was found shot dead in the trunk of her car after being seized in her office.

Mr. Aushev had survived a kidnapping attempt in September, and during a recent interview with an Australian television station, he spoke of receiving “very strong information that I was going to be killed.” His colleagues said he remained at odds with Zyazikov’s relatives and continued to criticize the tactics of Russian special forces stationed in the region.

Tanya Lokshina, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Moscow bureau, said the killing raised the question of whether Yevkurov has enough power to safeguard the pluralism he had encouraged. “What is absolutely clear is that human rights activities, political opposition activities, journalist activities in the North Caucasus have become completely lethal,” she said. “This is something the Kremlin must look into, and must do something about.”

Anti-West protest in Kabul turns bloody

Mon Oct 26, 2009

The second day of the protests in the Afghan capital city of Kabul over the report of burning of the Muslims' holy book has turned bloody after up to 15 police officers were injured, says an official.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets on Monday condemning US-led troops in the country for burning a copy of Muslim holy book of Quran.

The demonstration came a day after over 1,000 university students gathered in front of the Afghan Parliament building to protest the move. Protesters set an effigy of US President Barack Obama and a US flag on fire.

During Monday's rally, some protesters hurled stones at riot police, interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashari said.

"They attacked police and 10 to 15 policemen are injured," he was quoted as saying by AFP.

Earlier this month, locals said that international troops torched Quran during an operation against Taliban militants in the province of Wardak in southern Kabul.

The protesters urged the Afghan government to arrest and punish those soldiers who burned the holy book.

A spokeswoman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has denied the report of burning the holy book of Quran by their forces as a groundless claim.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/109645.html.

Mideast should be a WMD-free zone: Erdogan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the entire Middle East region should be made a zone free of nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction.

"It is unfair to ignore Israel's nuclear arsenal and instead focus on Iran's nuclear activities," Erdogan told the satellite television network Aljazeera in Pakistan.

Israel is thought to have produced sufficient fissile material to build 200 warheads by the mid-1990s. In 1986, descriptions and photographs of Israeli nuclear warheads produced at a purported underground bomb factory at the Dimona nuclear reactor were published in The Sunday Times of London.

Iran says its nuclear program is totally peaceful and has called for the eradication of all weapons of mass destruction.

Erdogan stated that he is opposed to the discontinuation of negotiations between Iran and the West.

"Iran should continue its talks with the West because only dialogue can bear results," he added.

Pointing to the sanctions imposed on Iran by the West, he stated that Turkey is against this policy.

"I want to ask those countries which themselves have nuclear weapons, but ask Iran not to go after such weapons: How is it possible to have something and ask others to avoid the same?"

"The International Atomic Energy Agency should extend the scope of its inspections to the nuclear sites to non-member countries," Erdogan told Aljazeera.

Erdogan is expected to arrive in Tehran today after wrapping up his visit to Pakistan.

Ben Ali looks set to win 5th term in Tunisia

Mon Oct 26, 2009

Some five million Tunisians have voted in a presidential election that is widely expected to give incumbent President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali a fifth term in office.

The polling stations opened between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (0700 to 1700 GMT) across the North African country.

Authorities said voter turnout was over 75 percent in Sunday's election. The voting age was lowered from 20 to 18 this year.

However, major opposition parties called for a boycott of the poll.

Ben Ali, 73, ran against three little-known presidential candidates. Results are expected on Monday.

Ben Ali, who was returned to office with 94.4 percent of the vote in 2004, is expected to overwhelmingly win the election.

The veteran president has ruled the North African country for the past 22 years.

The election is set to give the former soldier a fifth five-year term in office and bolster his ranking among Arab leaders including Maghreb neighbors Muammar Gaddafi in Libya (40 years in power) and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak (a mere 28 years).

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/109635.html.

Pakistan vows to defeat militants within a month

Mon Oct 26, 2009

Pakistani Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar says that his forces will defeat pro-Taliban militants based in the South Waziristan tribal area "within a month."

"I am confident that the insurgents in South Waziristan will be flushed out within a month, but there may be more retaliatory attacks," Mukhtar told The Sunday Times.

He made the remarks as Pakistani army troops are advancing on the militants' main strongholds in South Waziristan from three directions.

On Sunday, Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani visited troops in Wana, the region's main town.

Kayani stated that the troops were fighting against a "handful of terrorists" who had made people "hostage to their anti-state agenda."

So far, 162 insurgents and 22 troops have been killed since the army launched a major offensive nine days ago.

At the same time, a wave of militant attacks in Pakistani cities has killed nearly 200 people in less than four weeks.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/109633.html.

Israel to drop 'ethnic cleansing' from schoolbooks

The Israeli Education Ministry plans to omit a passage in their history books that tells the story of the expulsion of Palestinians in 1948, describing it as 'ethnic cleansing.'

The ministry announced that it has decided to reissue the history textbook taught to secondary classes after relevant changes are made, local media outlets reported on Sunday.

The media outlets quoted the passage in question as saying: "The Palestinians and the Arab countries contended that most of the refugees were civilians who were attacked and expelled from their homes by armed Jewish forces, which instituted a policy of ethnic cleansing."

Israel has always claimed that the Palestinians were not forcefully removed.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made racist remarks similar to the slogans of the original Zionists who expelled over 750,000 indigenous Palestinian Arabs from their homeland in 1948. "Israel is not a bi-national state," he stated and added, "It's the homeland of any Jew."

Although most Israelis refuse to admit that the Zionist regime was established through ethnic cleansing, not all of them are in denial.

Israeli historian Ilan Pappe has written a book entitled "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine." His book, which has been harshly criticized by Zionists, is based on documents he retrieved from the archives of the Israeli Defense Ministry.

The book says the Zionists planned to establish Israel on the land inhabited by a Palestinian population and provides details of plans drawn up by Zionist leaders on how to get rid of the existing Palestinian population.

Mujica ahead in Uruguayan presidential election

Former guerrilla leader Jose Mujica of the leftist Broad Front party has garnered 50 percent of the vote cast in Uruguay's presidential election, initial results show.

However, the exit poll figures announced by television stations do not make it clear whether there will be a second round or not as more than 50 percent of the vote is needed to avoid a November 29 runoff election.

If the figures match, Mujica, 74, would be the outright winner against former president Luis Lacalle, 68, of the National Party.

A triumph by Mujica, who is popularly known as "Pepe", would mean that resource-rich Uruguay is likely to continue under a markets-minded leftist leader like outgoing President Tabare Vazquez, also of the leftist Broad Front party.

If elected, he would be only the second former guerrilla to take power through the ballot box in Latin America, following Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega.

As many as 2.6 million registered voters took to the polls on Sunday to choose a successor to President Vazquez and also elect a new Congress.

Jordan: Israel fueling violence in Mideast

Jordan has warned that the provocative Israeli acts in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound may 'fuel violence in the region and jeopardize peace efforts'.

"Any further provocative attempts by Israeli troops and Jewish extremists such as what happened today in the shrine's compound represents a flagrant violation of international law and conventions and sets the stage for more tension and acts of violence," Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communication Nabil Sharif said in a statement on Sunday.

"Jordan, out of its historical responsibilities in being the custodian of the holy places in Jerusalem, is extremely worried about what is taking place and warns against going ahead with this provocative behavior on the part of Israeli troops," DPA quoted Sharif as saying.

He urged "an immediate end to such dangerous practices, which threaten to derail all opportunities of peace and stability in the region".

Israel captured East Al-Quds from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war.

Under a peace treaty, which the two countries signed in 1994, Israel acknowledged Amman's right to be in control of all matters relating to the historical compound.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also summoned the envoys of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to ask that they intervene immediately to Israel's unilateral steps in East Al-Quds, including excavations and measures designed to force Arab citizens to emigrate.

Meshaal: Israel plans to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque

A senior Hamas leader has warned that Israel plans to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds to build a new temple in its place.

On Sunday, the mosque compound was the scene of violent clashes for the second time in recent weeks after Israeli police invaded the compound and arrested 12 Arab worshipers.

"It is the first step towards dividing the mosque, a prelude to demolishing it and building a temple in its place," said Hamas political leader Khalid Meshaal in a speech in Damascus.

"Jerusalem belongs to its Arab inhabitants, Muslims and Christians. The future (of the city) will not be settled at the negotiating table, but on the ground of confrontation and resistance," AFP quoted Meshaal as saying.

The Organization for Human Rights on the Temple Mount (OHRTM), a rightist Israeli group, in a meeting on Sunday had called for a new temple to be built in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The conference was attended by a number of Knesset members and leading rabbis, Ynet news reported.

Tensions have been high over the past month and the compound has been the scene of fighting after Israeli extremists, backed by Israel's police force, tried to enter the mosque and clashed with Palestinian worshipers.

Israeli police also denied Palestinians access to the mosque compound for a period of several days.

The blockade was followed by demonstrations in numerous Middle Eastern countries including Iran and Turkey, which resulted in the re-opening of the mosque two weeks ago.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference has also warned Israel of "dangerous consequences" for acts of sacrilege in the holy Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

'Defend Al-Aqsa'

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has urged Arab and Muslim leaders to take practical steps to end the Israeli assaults on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem (al-Quds).

On Sunday, Haniyeh, who is the democratically elected prime minister of Palestine, asked Organization of the Islamic Conference Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to arrange for an emergency meeting of the OIC to discuss the attacks on Islam's third holiest shrine.

He also called on Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa, and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faysal to take practical steps to protect Al-Aqsa.

Following the deployment of hundreds of security forces by Israel in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque early on Sunday, clashes broke out between the Palestinians and the Israeli forces. At least 30 Palestinians were injured and 20 arrested.

"It was the first time the Israeli army locked the gates of the mosque with chains, barring the call to prayer, breaking into its yards for long periods of time," Hamas Political Bureau chief Khaled Mashaal said in remarks denouncing the Israeli attack.